# X Rate Limits in 2026 and What "Rate Limited" Means Source: https://trygrowx.app/x-specs/rate-limits (updated 2026-11-04) Since May 2026, unverified X accounts can publish 50 original posts and 200 replies a day, split into smaller half-hourly limits. Every account can send 500 direct messages and follow 400 accounts a day, and going past a limit shows an error until the window resets. Last checked November 2026. We could not confirm every figure against X's page directly, so sources are named per row and conflicts are shown below. ## X rate limits at a glance | Action | Limit | Who | Source | | ------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Original posts | 50 a day, split into half-hourly limits | Unverified accounts | [X limits](https://help.x.com/en/rules-and-policies/x-limits), reported by [The Register](https://www.theregister.com/personal-tech/2026/05/19/x-limits-hot-takes-from-freeloaders-to-50-a-day/5242657) and [Hypebeast](https://hypebeast.com/2026/5/x-slashes-free-posting-limits-nudging-users-to-premium) | | Replies | 200 a day | Unverified accounts | Same as above | | Direct messages | 500 sent a day | All accounts | [X limits](https://help.x.com/en/rules-and-policies/x-limits) | | Follows | 400 a day; ratio rule after 5,000 | All accounts | [About following on X](https://help.x.com/en/using-x/x-follow-limit) | | Account email changes | 4 an hour | All accounts | [X limits](https://help.x.com/en/rules-and-policies/x-limits), reported by [The Register](https://www.theregister.com/personal-tech/2026/05/19/x-limits-hot-takes-from-freeloaders-to-50-a-day/5242657) | | Posting through the X API | 100 requests per user per 15 minutes; 10,000 per app per 24 hours | Developers | [X API rate limits](https://docs.x.com/x-api/fundamentals/rate-limits) | ## What changed in May 2026 Until early May 2026, X's limits page listed 2,400 posts a day for every account. Around 16 to 19 May 2026, it changed to 50 original posts and 200 replies a day for unverified accounts, as reported by [PiunikaWeb](https://piunikaweb.com/2026/05/17/cant-post-on-x-there-are-new-rules-for-non-premium-users/), [The Register](https://www.theregister.com/personal-tech/2026/05/19/x-limits-hot-takes-from-freeloaders-to-50-a-day/5242657) and [Hypebeast](https://hypebeast.com/2026/5/x-slashes-free-posting-limits-nudging-users-to-premium). Accounts over the limit see "This request looks like it might be automated." **Where sources disagree.** - X's limits page still mentions "2,400 updates per day" further down. PiunikaWeb reads this as the figure for verified accounts; X does not say. - X publishes no number for verified or Premium accounts. Coverage reports that Premium subscribers avoid the 50 and 200 caps. Hypebeast says the Basic tier restores unlimited posting, while other reports tie the exemption to verification, which Basic does not include. - It is unconfirmed whether reposts and quote posts count toward the 50 original posts. ## Reading limits In July 2023, X added temporary limits on how many posts people could read a day, which it raised twice within hours ([Neowin](https://www.neowin.net/news/twitter-is-now-limiting-how-many-posts-users-can-read-each-day)). We found no reading limit on X's current limits page. X does not explain a "Rate limit exceeded" message seen while scrolling; it usually clears after a wait. ## By account type ### Free (unverified) accounts - 50 original posts and 200 replies a day, in half-hourly windows. - 500 DMs and 400 follows a day. ### X Premium - Reported to be exempt from the 50 and 200 caps; no published number. - Same DM and follow limits on X's page. ## How to fix "rate limited" on X 1. **Stop and wait.** Limits run in half-hourly windows and a daily window, so posting usually works again later the same day. 2. **Spread posts out.** A burst of replies in a few minutes hits the half-hourly limit fastest. 3. **Check third-party apps.** Some tools post on your behalf and use up your limit. 4. **Stay inside the rules.** X's [automation rules](https://help.x.com/en/rules-and-policies/x-automation) ban bulk and automated replies, and repeated limit hits can lead to a locked account. ## Frequently asked questions ### How many posts can I make a day on X? Unverified accounts can make 50 original posts and 200 replies a day. X does not publish a number for Premium subscribers, who are reported to be exempt. ### Why does X say I am rate limited? You have hit a posting, reply, DM or follow limit, or X has flagged a burst of activity as possibly automated. Wait for the window to reset. ### How long does an X rate limit last? X splits the daily post limit into half-hourly windows and does not publish exact reset times, so a short wait often clears a half-hourly limit and a daily limit clears within a day. ### Do threads count toward the limit? X has not said. Each post in a thread is published as a reply to the one before, so plan as if each part counts. ## Make every post count With 50 posts a day, quality wins. Draft fewer, better posts with the [post checker](https://trygrowx.app/tools/post-checker) and see every other X limit on the [X specs hub](https://trygrowx.app/x-specs).